


Christmas Carol Au

by James_Remus_Regulus_Black



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Red Robin - Fandom
Genre: Christmas, Ghosts, Tim-centric, christmas carol au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-20
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-09-23 12:24:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17080280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/James_Remus_Regulus_Black/pseuds/James_Remus_Regulus_Black
Summary: After Jason died, Bruce didn't want to spend Christmas with another Robin. Maybe the ghost of past, present and future will show him what's what.Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters





	Christmas Carol Au

Bruce frowned as he walked over to Tim, who was still in the cave, working over the map of Gotham with a highlighter.

"Tim?" The kid jumped and grinned at him. Usually, Bruce would smile back, but the festive season put a permanent frown on his face.

"Hi, Bruce. So, I was thinking about the patrol for tomorrow night. Since Dick is coming, I though we could maybe just visit all these points where crime usually happens around Christmas time and then come back to the manor?"

"We are not shortening the patrol tomorrow." Tim's grin faltered.

"But-"

"Crime doesn't sleep, not even on Christmas. I thought you knew that, Robin."

"Well, yeah, but-"

"And Dick is coming early tomorrow, so you don't need to patrol with us."

"It's ok, three heads work better than two!"

"Spend Christmas with your family." Something flashed in his eyes.

"But you're my-"

"Go home."

"Bru-"

"GO HOME!" Tim recoiled, bowed his head, and went upstairs.

 

Time skip

 

As Bruce was getting ready for bed, something shimmered in his vision. He narrowed his eyes, only for them to widen not a moment later when he saw a translucent child smirking at him.

"You must be Bruce Wayne."

"Who are you?"

"Why, the ghost of Christmas past of course! Didn't Jason tell you I was coming?" Bruce glared at the kid.

"What kind of joke is this?" He seethed. The smile dropped and it looked as if the kid was listening to something.

"Oh... I'm so sorry! Something unexpected happened and the ghosts are trying to figure it out, they can't find Jason anywhere!" The glare intensified. "I guess I'll have to do the introduction then. Three ghosts are going to visit you tonight. I'm the ghost of Christmas past, so I'll show you the way you used to pass your Christmases. Take my hand." Bruce did not, so with a roll of their eyes, the kid reached out and pulled Bruce into the past.

They were flying over Gotham, but Bruce, in his usual Batman fashion, did not react. Not even when he realized he was just as translucent as the ghost.

He didn't react, until they stopped at a particular rooftop.

"What is the meaning of this?!" There he was, as Batman, listening to Jason ramble about Christmas.

"You know, Christmas is my favorite holiday. Dad always got us something. Always. I mean, it was probably stolen, but still! And we would sing. If you're lucky, I'll sing to you when we get back home. Mom said I have a good voice. And we'd all watch Home Alone together.  
Hey, do you think I could bake some cookies today? I wanted to get something for Alfred but I had no idea what to get him. So distract him for me ok?"

"Ok."

"Cool. Oh, and you will never believe what I found for you! You're going to love it."

Bruce remembered that Christmas. Jason not only sang every cheesy Christmas song he could think of while on their way home in the batmobile. 

Jason got him a Batman Christmas sweater, which he actually knitted himself. It had tire patterns on it that made everyone smirk. He also wrote a short story about proving someone innocent and setting them free to their family on Christmas Eve. He didn't give Dick anything, didn't even let him touch the cookies he made for Alfred, with A spelled out on each of them with red icing. 

"Why are you showing this to me?" Bruce whispered, and to his shock, found himself crying.

"Don't you want every Christmas to be like this? It still can be, it's not too late to-"

"Jason is gone!"

"But you have a new Robin."

"Tim will never replace Jason! No one can." 

The ghost sighed.

"I guess you're right. But doesn't he deserve the chance to spend Christmas with his family too?" With that, the ghost disappeared and Bruce woke up in his bed. He was ready to dismiss it as a nightmare, when another shimmering figure showed up.

This time, it was a woman about Bruce's age. She wasn't smiling quite as brightly as the previous ghost, but the smile was still there.

"I'm assuming you know who I am?"

"The second ghost who's supposed to show me the error of my ways?" The woman chuckled.

"I am the ghost of Christmas present, so I will show you what is happening right now, as you're trying to push everyone away." This time, he grabbed her hand willingly.

They appeared in Tim's apartment. The first thing Bruce noticed, was the complete lack of decoration. No tree, no stockings, no cheerful music. 

There was music, but it came from one of the rooms in the hallway. But it was angry, rock music; definitely not Christmas themed.

The ghost frowned too as they made their way towards the noise.

It was Tim's room. They walked through the door to see the boy throwing his pillows at the door with a somewhat muted shout.

Suddenly, the phone rang. Tim froze and then ran outside to get to it.

"Hello?" Tim seemed completely calm, not as if he was just cursing somebody's existence.

"Timmy! I was worried you wouldn't pick up. I think it's too early in the states?"

"Don't worry Dad, I wake up early anyway."

"Where are his parents?" Bruce turned to the woman, who shrugged.

"Paris? London? Brazil? Who knows?"

"I know we promised to be there for Christmas, buddy, but we just found something unbelievable! We'll tell you all about it when we come back."

"I'm looking forward to it."

"The connection is breaking up, Tim. Mom is in the shower right now so we'll call you again later, alright, Timmy? And Merry Christmas!"

"You too, Dad." As soon as the man hang up, Tim threw the phone into the other side of the hallway. Bruce has never seen him act that way before. Was he always this angry? How come Bruce didn't notice?

"Poor child, spending Christmas alone. At least you always had your butler." They watched Tim a little longer as he returned to his room, seemingly run out of steam, and collapsed on his bed, and turned on one of the Marx brothers films that, Bruce learned, he liked to watch when he was feeling anxious.

He woke up in his bed once more and was about to call Tim, when the third ghost appeared. 

It took all of Bruce's training not to stumble away because this one looked like Joker, and he wasn't smiling.

"Come along, Batsy, we're on a schedule. And I don't know if you noticed, but I'm not in a good mood right now." The clown pouted as Bruce didn't even move. He rolled his eyes and lunged at him, bringing him both to Wayne enterprises.

"Oh, did I forget to tell you? I'm the ghost of Christmas future, of course!"

Tim was standing on the platform, he was older, seventeen? eighteen? Bruce wasn't sure. But he was smiling this time and Bruce let himself relax a little, even if he was here with the Joker.

"Happy Holidays, everyone! And may I call Tamara Fox here?"

A young woman stood up, nervously making her way towards him.

"Oh come on, you know I don't bite." A couple of employees sniggered. "I just wanted to give you a present, from behalf of all the Waynes, for looking after me. I know it wasn't easy." Now everyone was laughing, even Tim. "So, your hard work finally pays off. You get a week holiday to Japan! It's a payed vacation, of course, courtesy of Wayne enterprises." A lot of people whistled their approval, and Bruce could hear someone whispering.

"No wonder she gets the vacation. I heard they were engaged." Tim was engaged? Already? 

Honestly, Bruce has yet to see anything horrible in this version of the future. Other than the Joker, having his fun walking through all these people and giggling as they shuddered.

"Oh, and I have one more announcement! This was fun guys, really. I love working with all of you, but we all knew it was temporary." This silenced everyone, until someone from the crowd yelled- "No! Don't leave!"

This prompted many others to voice their discontent with his decision too.

"You're the best boss we ever had!"

"Don't force us to work with that airhead again!"

"If you're leaving for another company, take us with you!" 

Tim raised his hand, and everyone was silenced.

"This is not my company, and I only took it over because of an emergency. Everyone here knows this. You also know that I haven't gone to college yet, so hey, maybe after I finish my degree I'll come back and be even better, because I'll know more? Anyway, it doesn't matter what anyone here says because I've already made my decision. All of my shares in Wayne enterprises are returned to Bruce Wayne, effective immediately." With that, Tim walked off the stage, ignoring the pleading of the crowd to come back.

That's when Bruce saw himself, older and in a suit, going after Tim. He and Joker followed, oddly silent. They found the two in Bruce's office, with Tim holding a box in his arms with his belongings.

"You should have warned me, Tim."

"What can I say? I thought you'd like the surprise. You were bugging me about it for ages, so here you go."

"We'll talk about this later, lets go home."

"Sorry, Bruce. I have plans tonight."

"It's Christmas!"

"So? Crime doesn't sleep just because it's Christmas, you taught me that, remember?" Both Bruce's flinched but Joker finally grinned.

"I like this one." 

"Everyone is waiting for us back at the manor, lets go home, Tim."

"I highly doubt that. The last time I came by, your son tried to kill me, so you'll have to excuse me if I'm not in a rush to go back."

"Tim, please-"

"Oh, almost forgot." Tim handed the future Bruce a piece of paper. "You can hang this on your wall if you want. Or better yet, give it to the Demon spawn, he'll be thrilled to make dozens of copies and plaster them all over both his and my room, as a reminder."

"You dropped my name?"

"Timothy Jackson Drake-Wayne was kind of a mouthful, wasn't it?" Joker started laughing. It was so loud, Bruce couldn't hear anything else Tim might've said as he shouldered past and walked out. Unfortunately, it wasn't over. Joker decided to continue to follow the kid to a graveyard. Tim sat down in front of two graves - Jack and Janet Drake. Bruce's heart clenched for the kid as Joker laughed even louder.

"Now all of you are orphans! Huh, wonder whether they died because of you this time? Wouldn't that be a laugh?"

Tim curled up in there, not even turning when he heard someone approaching. Bruce turned, only to tense immediately. Joker turned too, his laughs becoming quiet giggles.

"Ooh, what did this little birdy do for ninjas to show up? And on Christmas Eve too."

"Timothy Drake?" Tim didn't move, the ninja took that as affirmation. "The Demon's Head sends you this package and a note. Should I read it out?" Tim nodded, minutely, so the man went ahead.

"Detective,

I have sent you everything necessary should you wish to join me. Many have questioned my decision but you and I both know that I do not accept no as an answer when someone as fascinating as you catch my attention. 

The doors to the League are always open to you. 

At this moment I am at Gotham, should you wish to spend Christmas with me, you are more than welcome to do so.

Mercy Christmas,

Ra's"

Tim suddenly grasped the package, which was wrapped in red with little gold 'RR' everywhere. When he opened it, Bruce gasped.

"What? What is it, Brucie? You're making me curious."

Bruce recognized the armour, and the sword. Both were passed generation to generation in the Al Ghul family line - they marked the heir. He remembered how longingly Talia would talk of these, and how Ra's hinted at letting him see them, more than just as images in the textbooks. No one other than the chosen heir was allowed to touch them, and here Tim was, caressing the draconic design on the sword.

"Take me to him." Joker laughed again and it seemed like he wouldn't stop. Even when Bruce woke up for the final time, he could still here the laughter echoing in his ears.

The End


End file.
